I don't know how that doctor Zhang managed to make it; it looks exactly like ordinary tea, but the taste is completely different.
Upon hearing the words "medicinal tea," Mingxi understood immediately. She deliberately picked up the teacup in front of her, took a small sip, and then said leisurely, "Indeed, the tea from the Prince's Mansion is excellent; its color, aroma, and taste are all superb."
Her smug, self-satisfied attitude made Mingwei grit her teeth in anger.
"Second Miss, please have some refreshments." Biyun followed the way Yuelin and the others addressed her, and she curtsied gracefully, saying, "Biyun greets Second Miss. Second Miss, you must keep an eye on our Princess Consort. The Prince has instructed that she is not allowed to eat too much of anything."
Well, even the maids around her didn't believe her; they had all "converted to treason." Mingwei glared at them with feigned anger, while grinding her teeth in exasperation.
Mingqian was greatly relieved. She smiled and said, "Of course, of course," while giving a wink to the maid standing beside her. The maid quickly handed Mingqian several purses. Mingqian laughed, "They're nothing, you can take them and play with them."
They accepted it with smiles, and Biyun could tell from the touch that the contents were quite substantial. Although she had grown up in the Eastern Palace and had seen many fine things, she had to admit that Mingqian was incredibly generous. She thought to herself, "The Princess's family really treats her very well."
After thanking them several times, Biyun tactfully withdrew, leaving the two sisters alone.
When only Mingwei and Mingqian remained in the room, Mingqian, who had been all smiles, scrutinized Mingwei from head to toe. After a long while, she said, "Silly girl, why are you still so silly! You look a bit haggard and thinner!"
Before her marriage, Mingwei's face was quite chubby, but now her chin was noticeably pointed. Although she looked to be in good health, there was a faint trace of fatigue and weariness on her face that couldn't be concealed by makeup. Thinking about how Mingwei had lived in constant fear and anxiety ever since Rongzhen's accident, Mingqian felt a pang of heartache.
She knew that beneath Mingwei's dignified and noble exterior lay a tender heart, one who would give her all to those she cared about, even to the point of being somewhat foolish. Back then, the galloping carriage was so dangerous; to protect her, Mingwei had jumped off without a second thought.
Mingwei was risking her life at the time! But she still did it, decisively and without hesitation.
From that moment on, she made up her mind to treat Mingwei like her own younger sister, to protect her and treat her well. Unexpectedly, by a twist of fate, Mingwei married into the royal family and became the Crown Prince's consort. Their concern was ultimately limited; the news of Rong Zhen's imprisonment was like a bolt from the blue. During those days, Mingxi was also constantly anxious, unable to eat or sleep properly.
Fortunately, Heaven had eyes and allowed Rong Zhen to escape the struggle for the throne safely. From then on, he could live as a wealthy and leisurely prince, which was also a good thing for Mingwei.
Dressed in scarlet robes, with her hair styled in a high bun and adorned with several dazzling phoenix hairpins… Mingxi gazed at the dignified Mingwei before her, her heart filled with complex emotions. Ultimately, Mingwei was still a person of deep feeling and strong principles. After all, it took courage to unhesitatingly and voluntarily follow the imprisoned and uncertain Crown Prince out of the Eastern Palace.
"...How can we trust you when you're always acting so foolishly!"
Upon hearing this, Mingwei's eyes were already red-rimmed, glistening with a thin layer of tears. Mingqian's lively performance just now made Mingwei feel as if she had returned to the most carefree days in the Chengping Marquis's mansion, and now her emotional appearance made Mingwei's heart ache.
"Second Sister, don't forget what Grandma always says." Mingwei blinked, trying to hold back her tears. "Grandma says I'm most like Second Sister. If Second Sister says I'm stupid..." Mingwei chuckled, "Then wouldn't you be too..."
Mingxi, who was just getting into the mood, had her sadness dissipate considerably after Mingwei interrupted her like that. "When it comes to being eloquent, I'm nowhere near as good as you!"
The two sisters couldn't help but smile at each other.
"Alright, alright, I'm relieved to see you're doing well today." Mingxi put away her playful expression, her gaze sweeping around the room before she said seriously, "You are a blessed person, as the Prince treats you very well."
The furnishings in the room weren't particularly luxurious, but they possessed an indescribable sense of comfort and refined elegance. From the moment Mingxi entered, she took in everything. From the embroidered peony branches on the large cushion to the set of famille rose porcelain in front of her, she could sense Rong Zhen's high regard for Mingwei.
Everything was clearly arranged according to Mingwei's preferences. The chess manual casually half-open on the kang (heated brick bed) by the window, along with several items that indicated they belonged to the male head of the household, showed that Rongzhen and Mingwei had a very good relationship. The warm and cozy atmosphere exuded by the furniture made Mingxi feel that it was all the more precious.
Most importantly, the respectful attitude of the maids in the mansion towards Mingwei also reflects the master's high regard for the mistress. The maid named Biyun, judging from her appearance and attire, should be Rong Zhen's head maid, yet she showed Mingwei both respect and closeness, which was definitely due to Rong Zhen's influence.
And then there were the gifts Rong Zhen brought to the Chengping Marquis's residence this morning… Ming Qian glanced at the gift list, and even the old lady couldn't help but nod in approval. The gifts Rong Zhen prepared were neither excessively expensive to make one feel uncomfortable, nor casual to make one feel slighted; it was clear at a glance that he had put a lot of thought into them. He went to such lengths all because of Ming Wei!
Rong Zhen was born into an extremely noble family, yet he did not show the slightest disrespect to Ming Wei because of her background.
Then she recalled that Rong Zhen had gone to the Chengping Marquis's residence early that morning to tell the old lady the good news. Although he was as mature and composed as ever, his eyes and brows revealed an undisguised joy. He hadn't even noticed that she had repeated the good news several times in a rambling manner.
Mingxi was secretly happy for Mingwei; Mingwei had finally found a good home.
Upon hearing Rong Zhen's name, a fleeting shyness crossed Mingwei's face. But thinking of Rong Zhen's gentleness, kindness, and thoughtfulness, she nodded earnestly and said, "The Prince treats me extremely well."
"Then take good care of yourself and give the Prince a little prince." Mingxi thought of Mingwei's pregnancy and didn't want to upset her. So Mingxi glanced at Mingwei's still flat stomach and teased, "No, you should give birth to several little princes, little princesses!"
"Second sister!" Mingwei blushed slightly and glared at Mingqian, but did not deny it.
The child with Rong Zhen was also what she longed for... not only to make up for the regrets of the previous life, but also to have some other feelings involved.
"Everything is fine at home, so you don't need to worry about home." Only then did Mingxi remember what her grandmother and mother had told her: "Grandmother and mother both said that you should take good care of yourself and give birth to the prince smoothly."
“Your situation is not what it used to be, so you must be even more careful.” Mingxi tried to imitate the old lady’s earnest tone, which made her look quite comical. “You should be extremely careful about your food, your personal belongings, and even every plant, tree, person, and object in the palace.”
Mingwei bit her lip to suppress her laughter while nodding earnestly.
"Also, the Prince didn't make a fuss because he was looking out for you." Mingxi seemed to remember something, straightened her expression, and emphasized, "Grandmother said that the situation is special and the Prince is being considerate. You mustn't take it to heart."
After hearing Mingxi's words, Mingwei blinked blankly for a moment before she understood what she meant.
The old lady must be afraid that Rong Zhen would be unhappy if he said he wouldn't reveal the news of her pregnancy yet! Mingwei thought with a touch of emotion, the old lady must be afraid that this would cause a rift between the couple, so she specifically asked Mingqian to remind her!
In the old lady's eyes, she will always be a child who never grows up...
“I understand, Second Sister.” Mingwei nodded obediently, and while she was touched, she couldn’t help but mutter, “Grandmother always treats me like a child.”
Mingxi relayed the old lady's and the first wife's words in a rambling manner. At the end, she added a lot of nonsensical remarks, basically telling Mingwei to take good care of her pregnancy and give birth to a big, healthy boy as soon as possible.
"You'll see her at the banquet in a couple of days, but we won't have much time to exchange heartfelt words." Seeing the lingering affection on Mingwei's face, Mingqian quickly added, "In a few days, the old lady will send Granny Fang over to you, along with two other nannies who used to work for my mother. They're all very capable."
Mingwei was deeply moved and nodded repeatedly.
"By the way, Second Sister, how's Third Sister doing lately? What about the other sisters?" Mingwei hesitated for a moment before asking Mingrong.
The attitudes of Consort Shu, Princess Cheng, and Princess Deguang were all ambiguous and strange, making her very uneasy. Considering the complicated family ties between Princess Cheng and the Second Madam's family, and Mingrong's ambitious nature, she always felt that something was going to happen.
When she heard Ming Rong mentioned, Ming Qian's eyes flickered slightly, but she quickly returned to normal. These days, apart from mocking Ming Wei, Ming Rong had actually been quite well-behaved for a while. "Don't worry, Grandmother has sent people to 'take good care' of Ming Rong. She can't leave the manor even for a moment now."
Mingwei nodded, but still felt vaguely uneasy.
Consort Han's affair, Rong Hao's affair... Consort Shu not only had a grudge against her in her past life, but she still does in this one. She wondered if Consort Shu had noticed something amiss, as she was always finding fault with her. Based on her understanding of Consort Shu from her previous life, she had no doubt about Consort Shu's ability to cause trouble.
"That's good." Mingwei pondered for a moment and said, "I still think that Third Sister will not be willing to marry into the third branch of the Duke of Ying's family. I hope she doesn't do anything outrageous. We must not let her tarnish the reputation of our sisters. Remind Mother to pay close attention to the Duke of Ying's family's movements."
Counting from the top, the one who hasn't married yet is Mingxi, then the three daughters of the second wife, Mingrong, Mingfang, and Minglian, and the six daughters of the third and fourth wives. It wasn't Mingrong's choice; she was framed and her reputation was tarnished, which was also detrimental to her other sisters.